Oakland Officials Announce New Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District

Oakland residents celebrated a new resolution to establish an LGBTQ+ cultural district in the Lakeshore neighborhood. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao, as well as both members of the Oakland queer community and several council members, announced the news in a press event on Tuesday.

The Oakland LGBTQ Community Center stands out as a pillar of the new district. It was founded six years ago and provides a variety of “educational, social, and health related activities, programs and services,” according to their website. However, the LGBTQ+ community’s presence in Oakland stretches even further back, to the 1950s. Lakeshore was home to several queer bars which dominated the scene into the 80s. Many members of the East Bay LGBTQ+ community have long considered the neighborhood as their home.

The designation of this cultural district—only the second in the city—pays respect to this neighborhood’s vibrant past, while also creating a “supportive environment for diverse LGBTQ individuals, families, allies, and businesses, and (nurturing) a safe, vibrant, and welcoming community”, as the text of the new legislation states. In coming months, we can expect to see plans for events and district boundaries, as well as hopefully the arrival of new LGBTQ+-owned businesses in addition to the dozen or so already existing.

The timing of this legislation was important, especially in light of the recent actions taken by many school districts in California to limit the rights of transgender students. Mayor Thao, Assembly member Mia Bonta, and others spoke at the event about the ongoing fight to resist hate and establish safe spaces for members of the LGBTQ+ community to freely express themselves.

Jeopardy! star and Oakland resident Amy Schneider, who emceed the press event, expressed her gratitude to the city, describing how living in this “haven for LGBTQ people” enabled her to live authentically. The co-founders of the Community Center, Jeff Myers and Joe Hawkins, also spoke of their hopes for the future of the district. Says Hawkins, “This is just the beginning. In my mind, the whole lake is the LGBTQ+ cultural district.”

Photo courtesy of @AsmMiaBonta on X